Neuromedin U enhances proliferation of ACTH-stimulated adrenocortical cells in the rat

  • Authors:
    • Marcin Trejter
    • Diego Guidolin
    • Magdalena Nowak
    • Veronika Macchi
    • Mariola Majchrzak
    • Raffaele De Caro
    • Ludwik K. Malendowicz
  • View Affiliations

  • Published online on: January 1, 2009     https://doi.org/10.3892/ijmm_00000106
  • Pages: 99-104
Metrics: Total Views: 0 (Spandidos Publications: | PMC Statistics: )
Total PDF Downloads: 0 (Spandidos Publications: | PMC Statistics: )


Abstract

Neuromedin U (NMU) is a brain-gut peptide involved in the regulation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis and adrenocortical cell proliferation. In this study, we investigated the effects of NMU8 (three subcutaneous injections of 6.0 nmol/100 g, 24, 16 and 8 h before autopsy) on the adrenal glands of rats treated for 2 or 4 days with a low (2 µg/100 g body weight/24 h) or a high (8 µg) dose of adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH). As revealed by RT-PCR, ACTH treatment did not prevent expression of NMUR1 in rat adrenal cortex. At day 4 of ACTH administration, the weight of adrenals was lower than at day 2. NMU8 administration prevented ACTH-induced increases of adrenal weight at day 2 of the experiment. ACTH plasma concentrations were increased in all ACTH-administered rats. NMU8 administration increased ACTH plasma concentration at day 2 of the lower ACTH dose-treated group while it reduced the ACTH plasma level at day 4 in the higher ACTH dose-administered rats. In all groups of ACTH-treated rats, NMU8 changed neither aldosterone nor corticosterone plasma concentrations. In the zona glomerulosa (ZG), NMU8 increased metaphase index at days 2 and 4 in the lower ACTH dose-treated group and had no statistically significant effect in rats treated with the higher ACTH dose. In the zona fasciculata (ZF), NMU8 administration increased metaphase index at day 2 in the lower ACTH dose-treated group but reduced metaphase index at day 4 in the higher dose ACTH-administered rats. NMU8 reduced the number of cells per unit area both in ZG and ZF at day 2 in the higher ACTH dose-treated rats. In the remaining groups NMU8 did not produce statistically significant changes in the number of cells per unit area. Thus, our findings demonstrate that exogenous NMU may stimulate proliferation primarily of the cortical ZG cells in rats administered with ACTH, although at high doses of exogenous corticotropin an opposite effect occurred.

Related Articles

Journal Cover

January 2009
Volume 23 Issue 1

Print ISSN: 1107-3756
Online ISSN:1791-244X

Sign up for eToc alerts

Recommend to Library

Copy and paste a formatted citation
x
Spandidos Publications style
Trejter M, Guidolin D, Nowak M, Macchi V, Majchrzak M, De Caro R and Malendowicz LK: Neuromedin U enhances proliferation of ACTH-stimulated adrenocortical cells in the rat. Int J Mol Med 23: 99-104, 2009.
APA
Trejter, M., Guidolin, D., Nowak, M., Macchi, V., Majchrzak, M., De Caro, R., & Malendowicz, L.K. (2009). Neuromedin U enhances proliferation of ACTH-stimulated adrenocortical cells in the rat. International Journal of Molecular Medicine, 23, 99-104. https://doi.org/10.3892/ijmm_00000106
MLA
Trejter, M., Guidolin, D., Nowak, M., Macchi, V., Majchrzak, M., De Caro, R., Malendowicz, L. K."Neuromedin U enhances proliferation of ACTH-stimulated adrenocortical cells in the rat". International Journal of Molecular Medicine 23.1 (2009): 99-104.
Chicago
Trejter, M., Guidolin, D., Nowak, M., Macchi, V., Majchrzak, M., De Caro, R., Malendowicz, L. K."Neuromedin U enhances proliferation of ACTH-stimulated adrenocortical cells in the rat". International Journal of Molecular Medicine 23, no. 1 (2009): 99-104. https://doi.org/10.3892/ijmm_00000106